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Mounting frustration over the lack of PPE for carers and other frontline workers has erupted in Birmingham amid fears that supplies are close to running out.

The city council is finally baring its teeth in public after pressing the Government in private over its concerns, and has called for urgent action to protect at-risk staff and residents from coronavirus.

City council leader Cllr Ian Ward has twice raised the urgent need for regular supplies of personal protective equipment with Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Local Government chief Robert Jenrick - but so far the appeals have not had a response.

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council.

Now, after the most recent supply of stock sent to the city came up woefully short, he has lost patience and publicised a third letter, highlighting how concerned he is about the issue.

While the number of people hospitalised with the virus, and the number of deaths, now appear to be peaking, there is concern that the impact in care homes and other community settings remains an unknown quantity.

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And, despite taking steps to prioritise supplies to the highest need, supplies are still at very low levels, the council has confirmed.

One major problem is the government has monopolised the supply chain - meaning the city's attempts to purchase kit itself are rejected by wholesalers, who say they are under orders to keep PPE for national distribution under the Clipper scheme.

However, says the letter, this scheme is three weeks away from being ready for distribution - and this will be 'too late' for Birmingham.

Prices are also being driven up as a result.

Brumkindness

On top of that, the council has been told it also needs to supply PPE to a much wider range of services, including all its adult social care providers, children's homes, GPs, prisons, courts, police, funeral services, mortuary, mental health community services, hospices, pharmacists and emergency dentists.

"The demand being driven by the inclusion of the above services...means stock is running desperately low," says the letter.

If demand for protective facemasks continues as predicted, the city council's stock of approximately 38,000 masks will only last for a further two weeks for use in priority areas, the council adds - never mind supplying additional services that might need kit.

"The situation is critical."

The city has also been coordinating its own PPE hub to try to marshall supplies from local businesses, national suppliers and donated kit.

Birmingham City University is among donors - the university's Arts, Design and Media faculty have given over 1,000 items of protective equipment to frontline staff, including aprons, protective goggles and face visors.

And a callout to businesses to donate items and to manufacturers to make masks has had a great response - with more than 70 businesses coming forward in less than a week.

But despite these efforts there are still "significant issues".

We have contacted the Communities, Housing and Local Government department for a comment.